Electric Vehicles: They Came, They Charged, They Conquered

The Electric Vehicle Road Trip (EVRT) Middle East 2019 confirmed that EVs are more than a match for petrol power after conquering the UAE’s highest peak and the drag strip at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit.

In its latest adventure, EVRT organisers challenged roadtrippers to charge their electric vehicles while driving down Jebel Jais mountain using regenerative braking technology.

Participants tested the driving skills to see who could “re-gen” the most kilometers of extra range in this first-of-its-kind event in Ras Al Khaimah, with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Renault Zoe and Tesla Model S proving that range anxiety is a thing of the past.

To further dispel misconceptions about the performance of EVs, drivers also proved that electric power is more than a match for petrol power at the Yas Marina Circuit.

As part of the EVRT Middle East 2019 Launch Event in Abu Dhabi, the iconic race track hosted the first ever EV Drag Race in partnership with eco Grand Prix, which included heats from the Renault Zoe and Chevrolet Bolt EV. The Tesla Model S P100D demonstrated the power that electric vehicles are capable of by easily beating a McLaren 570s on the drag strip challenge.

The goal of the EVRT Middle East is to accelerate the adoption of Electric Vehicles and connects eMobility Forums in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Dubai to educate and inspire the transformation to sustainable travel. After launching from the World Future Energy Summit, roadtrippers embarked on 8 days of adventure, with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Renault Zoe and Tesla Model S demonstrating just how far electric innovation has come and why the time is now to upgrade your life and reduce your carbon footprint.

Ben Pullen, CEO of Global EVRT said: “It’s amazing to see that parts of this region are ready for electric! Manufactures such as Chevrolet, Renault, and Tesla are responding to this through bringing their new products to market. However, through the experience of long distance driving, we conclude that outside of Dubai there is a lot of investment needed into charging infrastructure during 2019 to ensure that the roads are ready for electric vehicles. This isn’t a concern of ours as literally over the course of a few months the whole of the UAE and Oman could be fitted out with charging stations suitable for long distance driving. Our interaction with government and business during the eMobility Forums gives us confidence in the leadership to deliver infrastructure and framework for electric vehicles to thrive.”

He continued: “We have been building charging stations with our powerful Charging Partner, Green Parking, and we look forward to building many more during the next EVRT Middle East in 2020.

“Along with our awesome EV Partners, we were honoured to work with Jumeirah Group as our official Hotel Partner, who provided our roadtrippers, media and VIPs with the best accommodation and facilities along the road, and no road trip or event is complete without music and leading music app Anghami provided the ultimate tunes at our events and in the cars.”

He added: “Knowledge is power, as they say, and part of our mission is to educate, and thanks to the fantastic team at YallaMotor, we revealed the findings of the region’s largest-ever survey of consumer knowledge, opinions, perceptions and purchasing intentions for electric vehicles.”

Jorge Bialade, General Manager at YallaMotor, said: “Despite only 8% of UAE respondents claiming to have driven an electric vehicle, the UAE leads the way in the GCC region for electric vehicle purchases as 50% of respondents say they are ready to purchase an electric vehicle within the next two years. What’s worth noting is that potential buyers do have their conditions and will only consider buying an electric vehicle if they can do between 300 to 500 kilometers on a single charge that takes no more than four hours to complete.”

What the Roadtrippers said

“I was most impressed with how efficient the Renault Zoe re-generated power and with very little effort needed from the driver. It will transform your commute and is one of the best value in terms of price to range.” Kyle Field, Senior Editor – CleanTechnica

“The EVRT Middle East provides an excellent opportunity for potential customers of these electric vehicles to really try them out over the 2000 km road trip across some beautiful countryside. The eMobility forums that Global EVRT hosted help local Governments to learn what is coming and what is needed in terms of charging infrastructure.” Ben Hill, CEO – B3 Energy.